County approves interlocal agreement with Mishawaka for Union Street/Bremen Highway reconstruction

St. Joseph County commissioners on Dec. 2 approved an interlocal agreement with the City of Mishawaka to move forward on the first phase of Union Street/Bremen Highway reconstruction, a multi-phase project that includes environmental work, engineering and new travel lanes.

A department representative identified in the transcript as 'Sky Matters' with the Department of Infrastructure Planning and Growth described the scope: the first phase largely lies inside the city with roughly 30% in county jurisdiction and will widen the corridor to two lanes each direction, add a walking/bike path on the east side and require notable right-of-way acquisitions. The staff member said a 10-foot path is the target and that Mishawaka will fund design and environmental work; construction would be an LPA project with local matches where Mishawaka initially fronts construction and the county later repays its share over time.

The presentation listed the county’s anticipated share at about $1,600,000. Commissioners asked questions about path width, guardrails and speed limits; staff said guardrails would be installed only where engineering indicates they are safer than a road run-off and estimated posted speeds in sections around 45 mph. The board approved the agreement by voice vote.

What’s next: Staff said the county will pursue design for subsequent phases after phase one construction is complete. Right-of-way purchases for county portions were discussed as part of future work.

Provenance: presentation and approval occurred during the IPG agenda item in the Dec. 2 meeting.